Review by JD on September 8, 2013.

At times there is a glut of average metal that floods on to my desk, and I shake my head with disgust. Average metal does not cut it for me any more, not after so many years in the business playing, writing and promoting metal. I need that certain band that blows me away from the very start, and gets my heart pumping.

Netherlands’ Aratron has come along to try and get my metal juices flowing. Playing Thrash inspired Death Metal; the five song demo here tries to rip your face off from the very starting pulse of the music. Sadly, the music never does do, nor does it do anything even remotely close to even lightly entertain me. It basically explodes on the launch pad, and proceeds to crumble like a house of cards in a wind storm.

Playing some middle-of-the-road, uninspired Old Styled Death Metal – I found myself nodding off a time or two. Using riffs ripped off of every classic DM band, then played with no sense of conviction or passion and topped with a vocalist that struggled with every line – I , uh…ZZZZZZ. Sorry – I was extremely underwhelmed and was so fucking glad when the disk ended and silence filled my ears once more.

The only upside was that this was recorded very well despite the horrible music – but made it even harder to ignore the brutal reality of a band that was below average in every category. I think I will give this disk for the dog for her to use as a chew toy or hopefully bury it in a field I don’t know about, and save myself from ever hearing Aratron ever again.

I will pop in Death’s classic "Scream Bloody Gore" and refresh my wounded metallic heart of something that is good and played that way.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 3.5
Atmosphere: 2
Production: 7
Originality: 1
Overall: 2

Rating: 3.1 out of 10